The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for deboning poultry carcasses and particularly to a unique method and apparatus for removing meat from the carcass along a processing line and which permits ready incorporation of poultry cut-up machines into the line.
In the processing of poultry such as chickens, turkeys and the like, the birds are initially killed, defeathered and eviscerated. After the eviscerating step, the poultry carcasses are then cut up or dismembered into component parts. Such cut-up operations involve removal of the meat components from the carcass. Generally, cut-up or deboning operations are performed by hand. Fairly recently, automated machinery or poultry cut-up machines have been developed to perform at least some of the deboning steps to increase production rates.
In a typical hand deboning operation, the eviscerated poultry carcasses are hung by their hocks from rigid shackles. The shackles are suspended from an overhead trolley type conveyor. The plant workers or operators are stationed along the conveyor line and manually cut off the wings, the breast meat, and the legs from the poultry carcass. As the birds progress down the processing line, the operators perform the different cuts and removal operations. Generally, all of the operators or workers are stationed along one side of the poultry processing line. The shackles may swing or rotate or the birds may be rotated thereon to permit access to all sides of the carcass. In final cut-up operations, the backbone may be removed and the drumsticks and thigh may be separated from the hindquarter or lower saddle of the carcass.
In addition, deboning operations may be performed on a truncated cone type holder. Generally, the cone is supported on a moving conveyor. The cone is inserted into the body cavity of the carcass. As the cone is moved along the processing line, workers on one side of the line remove meat from the carcass. The removed portions are deposited on a belt conveyor running adjacent the cone conveyor. An example of a hand processing arrangement employing a cone holder may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,419 entitled CHICKEN DEBONING APPARATUS AND METHOD and issued on May 31, 1983 to George T. Cantrell.
In order to increase production rates, various forms of automatic cut-up machines have been developed for use in the processing industry. An example of one such machine may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,385,421 entitled POULTRY LEG/BACK PROCESSOR and issued on May 31, 1983 to Eugene G. Martin. With this machine, a poultry carcass lower saddle is placed on a conveyor. The machine automatically separates the poultry leg sections from the back of the carcass. An example of another cut-up machine which operates on the entire carcass may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,624 entitled POULTRY CUT-UP MACHINE and issued on Apr. 12, 1977 to Eugene G. Martin et al.
Prior processing lines have not readily integrated automatic cut-up machines. Also, production rates have been limited by available plant floor space. As a result, a need exists for an apparatus and method which will significantly increase production capacity for a given plant floor space, which permits efficient deboning and which readily incorporates cut-up machines into the operation.